What has it been? Eleven days since
Christmas? Are your Christmas lights still up or have you already taken them
down? And by what date should people take down their lights?
That’s a really good question so I did a
little research on this and I went to the very top authority on this topic. I
consulted with Disney World. And they
tell me that they take down their Christmas lights by the first Monday after
New Year’s Day which would be tomorrow.
So, if you keep up your lights after
tomorrow, you are going to be out of sync with Disney World’s schedule. I’m just say’n.
Actually, Disney World is pretty close to
the official church calendar on this issue. According to the church calendar,
Christmas is a period of twelve days beginning on Christmas Eve which means
that the Christmas season ends every year on January 6 which just so happens to
be tomorrow.
Tomorrow is Epiphany Day when the church
celebrates when the Wise Men visited the Christ Child and offered gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrth. So, if you want to get technical about it, it
would make sense to box up those Christmas lights by the end of tomorrow
evening. And as a side note, since we are talking about Christmas decorations,
any ugly Christmas sweaters or ties should definitely be put away as soon as
possible.
One of the reasons why I think people tend
to keep up their Christmas lights for so long is because this is such a dark
time of the year. The presence of light in the midst of darkness can lift our
spirits. So in this sense, maybe we should keep those Christmas lights up until
March 9th when Daylight Savings Time begins. Well, I think most of us know that we probably
shouldn’t keep our Christmas lights up for that long. At some point, we need to
put the lights away for another year.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the
importance of light by reflecting on our Old Testament reading for this
Epiphany Sunday. Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the people of
Israel were living during a very dark time in their history.
It seemed like they were constantly being
overrun by foreign powers. Israel was in the middle of neighboring nations at
war with one another. Some of these nations have taken the Hebrew children from
their parents as captives.
It’s also a time when the people of Israel
are beginning to give up on God because there is so much darkness in their
lives. An enemy army has wiped out Jerusalem, the temple, and the once proud
economy of Judah. And the tiny remnant of Israel which is holding on to dear
life, continues to feel threatened with certain destruction.
In the middle of all of this darkness and
hopelessness, God sends the Prophet Isaiah to offer some much needed light.
It’s in the middle of the night when Isaiah jumps out of his bed, not because
he thinks he has heard Santa and his eight tiny reindeer, but because he has seen
the light of God.
Get
out of bed, God is here!, Isaiah tells the people. Imagine being awakened
in the middle of the night with somebody shouting out the good news that your sons will return from far away, and
your daughters will be carried in their mothers’ arms again. The sight of the
exiles coming home will make your face break out in a grin, your heart pound,
and your eyes light up. The whole world will come riding camels and bringing
gifts. People will march in from the South and sail in from the West. They will
bring gold and frankincense, and they will bow down and worship God’s light.
There aren’t too many times that I like to
be awakened in the middle of the night. But if I was experiencing the kind of
darkness that the people of Israel were experiencing during that time of their
history, I’m sure that I would arise and shine if I heard Isaiah shouting out
this good news.
As we begin a new year, we might be facing
the darkness as well. Maybe it’s the uncertainty of what this new year holds.
Maybe it’s a medical concern or a financial need that has us in the darkness.
Maybe it’s a relationship problem or a dream that has gone unfulfilled or maybe
it’s another kind of darkness.
Our world often feels very dark. People
are dying of preventable diseases like Malaria. Terrorism continues to strike
down innocent people. Armies retaliate against the innocent. People are lonely
and out of work. Many are lost and are in despair.
Not too long ago, I received an email from
somebody who was asking our church to help a young man who recently graduated
from high school. He has no home, no job, and he’s trying to find his way in
this world. After offering some ideas on how he might get on his feet, I just
said a little prayer for him that he would be able to see God’s light.
Epiphany is a time to for us to remember
that it was a light that led the Wise Men to find the Christ Child. And when
they arrived, we are told that they were overwhelmed with joy. They offered
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
When we encounter the light of Christ in
our dark world, we too, are overwhelmed with joy. It’s this joy that leads us
to offer our very best gifts in gratitude for God’s light. Perhaps this is why
the Prophet Isaiah was getting everybody out of bed one night. He had joy to
share and he wanted everyone to know it.
Even though the Christmas Season is almost
over, like the Wise Men we are called to offer our very best gifts so that
others may find the light. And like the Prophet, Isaiah, we are called to tell
all of those around us, Arise, shine; for
your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Bob
Russell, who is now retired as the Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church
located in Louisville, Kentucky, once shared this story which had happened to
him several years ago. One year, he
noticed that a house near the entrance of his subdivision kept their Christmas
lights up long after the Christmas holiday was over.
This family kept them up through January
and then around the middle of February, Bob began to develop a critical
attitude toward this family for keeping their Christmas lights on for so long.
But around the middle of March, Bob
noticed a sign outside of this house that explained why they had kept their
Christmas lights on. The sign simply
said, “Welcome home, Jimmy.” Bob learned that this family had a son in
Vietnam and they had unashamedly left their Christmas lights on in anticipation
of their son’s return.
This family knew that the light of Christ
burns brightly long after the Christmas season. The light of Christ will
continue to shine brightly even when our days feel like they can’t get any darker.
Whether you put your Christmas lights away
the day after Christmas, or you’re more of a purist and you wait until the
twelfth day of Christmas, or even if you wait to take them down until sometime
in March, remember that the light of Christ has come.
Long after we box up those Christmas
lights, the light of Christ will continue to shine brightly through even the
darkest of days. Those lit candles that we held up in a darkened sanctuary on
Christmas Eve will continue to light our way and lead us home.
Several months ago, Pastor Cheryl led a
funeral service here in our sanctuary. It was held on a late Saturday
afternoon. The sanctuary was filled and I was sitting in one of the back pews.
During the service, the song, “Out of the
Dark” by Gloria Estefan was played. It had been cloudy for most of the day and
just before this song was played, the sun began to shine brightly through our
beautiful stained glass windows as if on cue.
As I listened to this beautiful song and
saw the sun pouring through our windows, I felt God’s presence even in the
midst of our sadness and grief. The words of that song seemed to be speaking to
each person in that room.
Why
be afraid if I’m not alone
Though life is never easy the rest is unknown
Up
to now for me it’s been hands against stone
Spent each and every moment
Searching for what to believe
Coming out of the dark, I finally see the light now
It’s shining on me
Coming out of the dark, I know the love that saved me
You’re sharing with me
As we prepare to receive the Sacrament of
Holy Communion, we come like the Wise Men to greet the Christ Child. God’s
light has led us to this place where we find the bread and the cup. We are
reminded that even a dark Friday gave way to a bright and glorious Easter.
Arise, shine, for your light has come!
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